Mercury compound and process of manufacturing



Patented Mar. 12, 1935 TUNIITIED s'r-Arss PATENT OFFICE I 1,993,771 I I MERCURY COMPOUND ANnrnooEss or Y MANUFACTURING Max Engelmann and Albert L. Flenner, Wilmington, Del., assignors to E. I. du Pont de Nernours & Company, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Original application July' 28, 193 2,: Serial No. 625,526. Divided and this application April 26, 1934, Serial No. 722,513

s.- (cig zeo-s sy This invention relates to mercury compoundsand the process of making them and more pare ticularly tov the reaction product of a non-substituted' hydrocarbon mercury compound and a We have found that these new compoundscan be produced by neutralizing hydrocarbon mercury hydroxides with fatty acids, .such

for example as those of the oleic, .stearic,

and palmitic acid series, or the like, or .by

double exchange of the organic mercury salts with metal salts of fatty acids. We

have also foundsuitable for this purpose otherfatty acids derived from a saponifiable fat or oil, such as for example, erucic, linoleic, ricinoieic, alaeomargin, alaesteric, lauric, and sebacic acids.

In fact-any fatty acid derived-irom'a s'aponifi able fat or oil may be used.

These new compounds have been found to 'be very efiective as disinfecting agents and-unlike other hydrocarbon mercury salts, such for example, as the-chlorides, sulfates, acetates, etc, 1

' they are soluble in vegetable or mineral oils. For

v 7 Example 1 31.3 parts of ethyl mercury hydroxide dissolved in 100 parts of methyl alcohol are neutralized with 37.6'g. of stearic acid, and warmedfor five minutes. The methyl alcohol is evaporated on a water bath. After cooling down, the ethyl mercury stearate crystallizes out in flaky crystals which are very similar in appearance to stearic acid. It has a melting point of 72 C. It is insoluble in water but very soluble in alcohol, ether, mineral oils, etc.

Example 2 31.3 parts of ethyl mercury hydroxide are mixed with 37.3 parts of oleic acid and warmed mercury oleate crystallizes out. It has a melt ing point of 62 C. The new compound is insoluble'in. water but very soluble in alcohol, acetone, benzene, ether and mineral, oils.

31.3 parts of phenyl mercury hydroxide dissolved in 200 parts of methyl alcohol are neutralized with 32 parts of palmitic acid. After the methylal'cohol is evaporated under reduced pressure, the phenyl mercury palmltate crysta1- lizes-out. It has a melting point of 56 C. It

is insoluble in water but very soluble in organi solvents, and mineral and vegetable-oils.

I In a similar manner, many other mercury jcompoundsgoi these series may be produced. Likewise, other hydrocarbon mercury compounds,-

'as' for example, those in which the hydrocarbon radical is methyl, butyl, propyl, and amyl in their various isomeric forms, maybe used, as well asthose containing the tolyl-, xylyl' and naphthyl radicals. v

These compounds may be produced in a form suitable as dust disinfectants by a one-step process without dissolving or suspending the components in a liquid medium by simply bringing the materials of the reaction into intimate contact in a dry state, and preferably in the presence of a finely-divided solid diluent such as, some form of inert materials. The mercurizing reaction takes place in the absence of any'added liquid diluent and gives directly in dust form the fatty acid salt of the non-substituted hydrocarbon mercury hydroxide.

Illustrative examples of the one-step dry process are as follows:

Example 4 parts of ethyl mercury sulfate, 31 parts of sodium palmitate, and 939 parts of talc are round in a ball mill for four hours.

Example 5 32.7 parts of mercury oxide, 85.4 parts of oleic acid, 24.5 parts of tetra ethyl lead, and 857.4 parts of paraflin oil are mixed together and warmed at 60 C. under agitation for about 2 hours. One part of this mixture containing ethyl mercury oleate added to 300 parts of water and 2 parts of sodium carbonate gives a stable emulsion which cambeused' for -the control of iseases, aiidfldii account of its content of mineral oil, also for the control of insect pests, and to prevent their attack on seeds and plants. This emulsion is also very effective for the control of sap stain of lumber, andlike diseases of cellulose products.

Example 6 16.35 parts of mercury oxide, 43.2 parts of steer.- ic acid.. 12.25 parts of tetra ethyl lead, and 9282 parts of kaolin are milled together for 20 hours. The finished dust. containing ethyl mercury stearate as the active ingredient, can be used immediately as a seed'disiniectant.

The following example otthe preparation of phenyl mercury oleate is given to illustrate how the products may be produced by the double exchange process:

Example 7 soluble in alcohol, acetone, mineral and vegetable oils, insoluble in water. v- By the term "dry process as used herein. it is to be understood that the materials are to be used in their commercially available torm containing only the small percentage of water. as is present under normal conditions. 2

It is to be understood that the foregoing examples are illustrative only and that our invention is to be limited only as indicated in the following patent claims:

We claim: I 1. The reaction product of a phenyl mercury compound and a salt 0! a higher iatty acid of a saponlnable fat.

2. Phenyl mercury oleate.

8. Phenyl mercury stearate.

4. Phenyl mercury palmitate.

5. The process or producing a fatty acid salt oi a non-substituted hydrocarbon which comprises reacting a non-substituted hydrocarbon mercury hydroxide with a fatty acid oil a saponiflable fat.

DISCLAIM EIR 1,993',777.-Mam Engelmann and Albert L. Flenner, Wilmington, Del. MERCURY COMPOUND AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING. Patent dated March 12, 1935. Disclaimer filed November 10, 1939, by the assignee, E. I. du Pont de Nemours'and Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer as to claim 1 of the said patent.

[Oflicial Gazette December 5, 1.939.] 

